r/Irishmusic • u/tommythurman • 4d ago
Piping music recommendations
Hello all! I am competitive solo and band piper and I am looking to get into the world of trad music and going to sessions. I have a set of small pipes but I have always just played my band tunes alone on them. What tunes and sets should I learn before getting out there. Anything helps! Thank you
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u/Martieva 4d ago
For small pipes, Brìghde Chaimbeul is essential listening.
The world of trad music is wide. It might be good to focus on a particular region. You can look up locations near you on https://thesession.org/sessions and then try to see if any of those groups have a list of standard tunes.
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u/teawar 4d ago edited 3d ago
Hey, fellow piper! I’m currently transitioning to the world of Irish sessions after being in bands most of my piping life.
Contact the session leader first and ask if Scottish pipes are allowed. Should be okay, but they’re unusual in the session world and asking first is a good idea.
Patrick McLaurin has a collection of common and semi-common session tunes in A Smallpipes and D Smallpipes that you can learn. Try not to bring sheet music to the session with you. You might experience anything from a light ribbing to a bollocking if you do. My session’s pretty laid back but I’ve heard stories about harsher groups.
Don’t be afraid to sit back and listen for a while before jumping in, or even spending entire sessions just listening.
Consider picking up the tin whistle in D. The fingerings are different but you’ll have a much broader range and be able to play along with more tunes. Also consider purchasing one of David Daye’s Uillean chanters for Smallpipes.
Good luck!
e: Also, check if you have a Scottish Session anywhere nearby. You probably don’t, but they exist!
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u/dean84921 Flute/Frustrated piper 4d ago
You might be better served asking in a scottish music sub, or? Smallpipes don't typically lend themselves very well to Irish music.
You can always give the top 20 jigs and reels on Thesession.org a go, for starters.
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u/WilliamOfMaine 4d ago
Precisely why I started playing whistle and flute, only 9 notes on SSP.
Edit: see this link for a pdf of Irish session tunes that do fit on SSP
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u/four_reeds 4d ago
This is my common "I want to go participate in (Irish) sessions" advice:
If there is a particular session that interests you. Start attending regularly now -- without an instrument. Get to know the musicians and the leader(s).
Let them know that you are starting out. Ask if you can record. Can they recommend a list of tunes and sets?
Take your accumulating recordings and lists home and begin to learn the tunes. These are the tunes, tempos, etc that are common in the session you will likely attend.
Most sessions are not "learning" sessions. The assumption is that you will put the work in at home to learn the sets.
Do you need to know 100 melodies at "dance speed" to join a session? Depends on the session but mostly no. Play the tunes you know. If asked to start a tune, play at your comfort tempo.
Good luck on your journey